Ear clip



Dec. 11, 1956 J. R. WATSON 73,

EAR CLIP Filed June 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N TOR.

J 0/71? 1?. l-i/h/s 0/2 Dec. 11, 1956 J. R. WATSON 2,773,293

EAR CLIP Filed June 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. A9.

INVENTOR.

. 6'0 74 Job/2 Z/z/a/S 0/2 ATTORNEYS- United States Patent EAR CLIP John R. Watson, Bristol, R. I., assignor to B. A. Ballou & Co., Incorporated, a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 18, 1954, Serial No. 437,628

8 Claims. (Cl. 24-252) This invention relates to an ear ornament or finding for an ear ornament of the type which will grip the lobe of the ear and apply pressure thereto to maintain the ornament in position. a

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an ear ornament which will be simple to manipulate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gripping jaw which will apply a substantially uniformpressure upon the ear lobe regardless of the thickness of the ear lobe gripped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gripping device which will be made of but two parts with those parts shaped so as to function as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily accessible finger piece integral with a spring jaw on the opposite side of the fulcrum from the gripping portion of the jaw for operating the jaw.

Another object of the invention is to provide a long arm on the gripping jaw through which flexing occurs so that soldering heat adjacent the jaw will have relatively less effect on the spring tension of this flexible arm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure which will so grip the soft lobe of the ear that it will indent itself sufficiently so that should there be a. tendency for the device to pull off of the lobe of the er, projections will prevent such movement.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a cam surface against which resilient arms act so that the pressure by the arms will be governed by reasons of the shape of the cam surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement so that the gripping parts will be either maintained in open position for positioning the same on the ear or in a position to apply pressure to the ear depending upon the relative position of the parts.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side View of the ear clip;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the swinging jaw of the clip as seen from one end;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the jaw, looking at it from the other end;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one arm on which the jaw is pivotally mounted;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the jaw, showing the swinging jaw in section and as if taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the. clip on the ear;

Figure 7 is an edge view showing the lobe of the ear in the position that it would assume when engaged by a projection on the jaw;

2,773,293 Patented Dec. 11, 1956 Figure 8 is a top plan view of the jaw as cut out from sheet stock before being bent into position;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification of the invention;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the jaw shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a side view of an ear clip of modified form;

Figure 11a is a plan view of one jaw blanked out from sheet stock;

Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the jaw of the clip shown in Figure 11 as bent into finished form;

Figure 13 is a sectional view showing the pivotal and cam means of one of the arms of the U-shaped member in which the jaw is pivoted;

Figure 14 is a sectional view similar to Figure 13 but showing the jaw in place;

Figure 15 is a sectional view showing the jaw in place and in open position;

Figure 16 is a side view of a different modified form of ear clip;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of the jaw of this modified form;

Figure 18 is a sectional view on line 18-18 of Figure 16;

Figure 19 is a fragmental view taken substantially on line 191.9 of Figure 16 with the jaw omitted.

In proceeding with this invention, I bend up a piece of sheet stock into substantially U shape with the legs of the U spaced at their free end and provide at the free end of one of these legs a means for pivoting a jaw, which jaw will open by swinging toward the bridge between the legs and away from the free end of the leg opposite to that upon which it is pivoted. The pivot means also incorporates cam surfaces. The jaw comprises two arms which when mounted in the pivot tend to spread apart away from each other and press against the cam surfaces adjacent the pivot, which cam surfaces control the swinging of the jaw and are so shaped as to cause the jaw to swing about the pivotal mounting toward the free end of the other leg of the U member with substantially the same pressure applied at all points of its swinging movement by reason of the shaping of the cam surfaces. These cam surfaces may also be so arranged that after a certain point has passed in the swinging of the jaw to open position, the cam surfaces will urge the jaw to swing on its pivot in the other direction so as to stay open. The jaw in nearly all instances is provided with some finger piece on the opposite side of the pivot so that the jaw may be readily engaged by the finger and swung to open position.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates generally a U-shaped member which has spaced legs 11 and 12. The leg 11 is provided with a circular end portion 13 which is adapted to carry some ornament and which leg will engage the outside surface of the lobe of the ear. In Figures 1-10 the leg 12 has its upper end rolled as at 14 into a form of eye or tube, the center wall of which is cut out as at 15 to provide spaced openings to receive the pivot trunnions of jaw arms. The opposite edges 16 of this opening 15 are in cam shape so as to control the movement of the jaw therein.

The jaw is shown in cut-out blank form at 17 in Figure 8 and as bent into finished form at 13 in Figures 2 and 3. The jaw comprises two arms 19 and 20 which extend from a bridging portion 21. The jaw is bent or doubled back upon itself along an areas at 22 to provide long resilient arms and as will be noted, the arms 19 and 20 are offset as at 23 and present a widened engaging surface along the lateral extending portions 24 of this offset with a. space between the portions 25 and 26 of,

these arms as at 27 into which a portion of the car 23, as seen in Figures 6 and 7, may extend. The ends of these arms 25 and 26 are shaped to provide trunnion; 29 and 36 which extend through the opening and project into the eye 14 on either side of this opening 15. The edge portions of the notches 31 and 32 therefore will engage the cam edges 16 of the eye, while the arms 19 and 21! forming the opening 33 between them will straddle the leg 12 of the U member, as shown in Figure 1, at the location of the offset 39 which acts as a stop. and the portion 34 which extends out beyond the leg 12 will serve as a finger piece for manipulation of the jaw.

In order to insert the jaw in the eye 14, the arm portions 25 and 26 are pressed toward each other into substantial contact and the trunnions 29 and 30 are then inserted through the opening 15 into the eyes 1.4-. There is enough inherent tension between the arms to force them outwardly so that the edges 31 and 32 engage the cam surfaces 16 of the opening 15, and this pressure is such that when the portions 25 and 26 are in the position shown in full lines in Figure 5, the outward pressure will be such as to swing the jaw clockwise about its pivot as shown in Figures 1 and 6, while if the portions 2-5 and 26 are in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, then being below the point of closest restriction 36 along the cam surfaces, the tendency of the arm parts 25 and 26 will be to swing the jaw to open position, such as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The curvature of the cam surfaces 16 is such with relation to the outward spring pressure of the portions 25 and 26 that there will be an even pressure upon the ear lobe 28 regardless of the thickness of the ear lobe and position of the jaw at the upper side of the restriction 36. This may be nicely controlled because the shape of this cam edge may be varied at will.

In positioning the ear clip on the ear lobe, the jaw will be swung to open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the lobe will be inserted. The finger piece 34 will then be engaged to move the jaw so that its edges 31, 32 are above the point of constriction 36, when the jaw will then under its own tension swing to closed position and engage the lobe of the ear. The portion of the lobe of the car 28, as shown in Figure '7, will extend into the opening 27 between the arms of the jaw and will engage the offset parts 24, and should the clip tend to slide off of the ear, these points will so be engaged by the fleshy part of the ear lobe that the ear clip will be prevented from removal. Further, as seen by the dotted line at 37, the arm portions 25 and 26 will extend, beyond the surface of the ear lobe, also assisting in holding the clip in position. When it is desired to release the clip from the ear lobe, it is merely necessary to engage the handle 34 and swing the same to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1.

In some cases instead of having a finger piece or handle portion, the jaw may be in the shape shown at 40 in Figure 10, in which the parts will be substantially the same except for the handle and the straddling relation that the handle has with the leg 12. Here the legs of the U member are designated 41 and 42, and the eye which was heretofore designated 14 is now designated 44. The ornament may be positioned as at 43 in this construction. The parts are substantially similar otherwise and the function of the device so far as its parts are concerned will be similar to that heretofore explained.

In the forms of the invention shown in Figures 11-19, the U-shaped member designated generally it) and having one leg 11 for mounting an ornament at 13 has its other leg 12 provided with ears 5t) bent up from the sheet stock from which the U member is formed and at substantially right angles to the leg 12. The inner surfaces 51 of these ears are formed in a shape of a cam, while the ears are pierced as at 52 to provide openings in which the trunnions of a .jaw may be pivotally mounted.

The jaw in the case of the showing in Figures 11-15 is designated generally 55 and is cut out of sheet stock to provide a pair of arms 56 which have a width greater than their thickness. These arms are joined by a bridge portion 57 which is indented as at 5'8 and which indentation serves to extend the length of the arms from the bending point at the center and also serves to permit the jaw to open and straddle the leg 12 of the U member upon which it is pivoted and to better engage the ear lobe. The jaw 55 is cut from a sheet of stock which has been rolled to cause the grain to run lengthwise of the jaw or at least at an angle not less than 45 to the length of the jaw. Where the parts extend across the grain of the stock as indicated at 56, the width of the stock at these locations is wider than the width of the lengthwise portions 56 so that the portions 56 running with the grain are narrower and will flex more along these narrower portions before flexure occurs at the wider portions 56. It will also be noted that the portion 58 which extends laterally of the grain will also be wider and thus less subject to fiexure at this point. By arranging the stock in this way and causing the flexure to occur at the narrower portions where the grain extends lengthwise of the stock, the .jaw will much better with stand the strains to which it is subjected. Trunnions 59 are provided on these arms 56 which extend into the openings 52 to pivotally mount the jaw in position. One of the arms is extended beyond the trunnion 57 so as to provide a handle portion 60 which may be readily engaged for swinging the jaw to open position, which will cause a contracting movement of the arms as it moves along the cam surfaces 51.

In some cases the cam surfaces may be cut back upon themselves at the lower portions 61 so that the jaw will stay in open position as illustrated in dotted line in Figure 1 and also as illustrated in Figure 15 when moved to this position.

In the form shown in Figures 1619, the cars 65' are bent from the sheet stock of the leg 12 of the U-shaped member, and they are shown in Figure 19 to provide cam surfaces as at 66. These ears are pierced as at 67 for the mounting of a jaw designated generally 68 and shown in perspective in Figure 17 in these ears. This jaw 68 is formed of round wire having arms 69 connectedby a bridging portion 70 with these arms bent inwardly as at 71 and then outwardly as at 72 to provide trunnions to enter the pivotal opening 67. The portions '73 of these inwardly bent arms engage the cam surfaces 66 of the ears adjacent the pivotal mounting, while the arms 69 straddle the leg 12 and provide the bridging portion 70 as a handle for swinging the jaw 68 to open position, as shown in dotted lines in'Figure 16. By this arrangement of bending of the wire in the jaw a very long arm 69 is provided, and even though the ornament is soldered to the leg 11 at 13 and some heat will be picked up by the jaw and thus somewhat annealed, the length of the arm is such that this does not detrimentally affect the jaw by reason of this soldering operation. The cam surfaces 66 are such that they tend to swing the jaw to closed position, shown in Figure 16, and are so shaped that at all positions of the jaw there will be applied to any object positioned between the jaw and the leg 11 substantially the same pressure by reason of the tendency of the portions 73 of the jaw to move outwardly against the cam surfaces. When the jaw is swung to the fully open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 16, the portions 73 of the jaw will pass beyond the raised portions 74 in the cam surfaces, and thus the jaw will remain in open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 16, until the handle '70 is engaged and the jaw manually moved initially toward closing position.

In all of the forms it will be apparent that a very long arm of the jaw is provided, which will be of assistance in the jaw maintaining its inherent resiliency even though slightly annealed during soldering operation. It also will permit of easier and more uniform pressure being applied to the ear when engaged. By reason of the cam surfaces this pressure may be applied equally at all points of the opening of the jaw. The finger piece makes easy opening possible during the removal of the ear clip from the lobe of the ear. In the sheet metal forms of jaw, the stock is sprung against the width of the stock rather than across the thickness and thus the arms do not need to be as long as in the round wire form where the stock is of uniform cross section in both directions.

I claim:

1. An ear clip comprising a U-shaped member one leg of which forms a relatively stationary ear lobe engaging jaw and the other leg of which has spaced openings at the terminal end thereof and a cam surface adjacent each of said openings inwardly thereof converging toward the. bridge portion between said legs, an ear lobe clamping jaw having a pair of resilient arms with the terminal ends thereof extending in the space between said openings into engagement with said cam surfaces and each having an outwardly projecting trunnion pivotally received in one of said openings to mount said clamping jaw to swing in the space between said legs, said cam surfaces being spaced from each other a distance less than the normal spacing between said arms to press the same toward .each other whereby said arms tend to move along said cam surface in the direction of widest spacing thereof in consequence of the tendency of said arms to recover to the normal spacing thereof and thereby to swing said clamping jaw toward the said stationary jaw.

2. An ear clip according. to claim 1 wherein the terminal of at least one of said arms extends beyond the trunnion thereon to provide a handle to manually move said clamping jaw to open position.

3. An ear clip according to claim 1 wherein the said other leg has spaced ears and the said openings are in said ears and the said cam surfaces are formed on the inner side of said ears.

4. An ear clip comprising a U-shaped member, one leg of which forms a relatively stationary ear lobe engaging jaw and the other leg of which has spaced openings at the terminal thereof and a cam surface adjacent each of said openings inwardly thereof converging toward the bridge portion between said legs, a pair of ear lobe clamping spaced resilient arms, one end of which extends in the space between said openings into engagement against said cam surfaces, and each provided with an outwardly extending trunnion pivotally received in one of said openings, said arms extending from said trunnion in the space between said legs and doubled back upon themselves toward the said other leg in general U-shape and of a length to straddle said other leg with the ends of the arms extending beyond said leg being connected by an integral bridge, said cam surfaces being spaced from each other a distance less than the normal spacing between said arms to press the same toward each other whereby said arms tend to move along said cam surfaces in the direction of widest spacing thereof in consequence of the tendency of said arms to recover to the normal spacing thereof and thereby to swing said arms toward the said stationary aw.

5. An .ear clip according to claim 4 wherein said arms are offset in a widthwise direction at the bight thereof.

6. An ear clip according to claim 4 wherein said arms extend from said trunnions on a curvature adapted to engage a substantial portion of an ear lobe and the spacing of said arms at the lobe engaging portion thereof is such as to receive therebetween the portion of the said ear lobe displaced between the clamping engagement of said arms with the said ear lobe.

7. An ear clip comprising a U-shaped member having a pair of legs, one of which terminates in a rolled end having a slot intermediate the ends thereof opening toward the other leg, at least one end wall of said slot providing oppositely operating cam surfaces, a U-shape jaw having a pair of resilient arms with the terminal ends thereof extending into said slot into engagement with said cam surfaces, said terminal ends having outwardly projecting trunnions pivotally received in said rolled end to mount said jaw to swing in the space between said legs, said surfaces each extending on a reversed slant providing adjoining cam surfaces converging toward each other at a location intermediate the ends thereof, said cam surfaces being spaced from each other a distance less than the normal spacing between said arms to press the same toward each other whereby said arms in consequence of the tendency to recover to normal spacing, tend to move along said cam surfaces toward the widest spacing therebetween at one side or the other of said location and thereby swing said jaws toward or from the other leg.

8. An ear clip as in claim 7 wherein both end walls of said slot have oppositely operating cam surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 963,327 Schmitt July 5, 1910 1,214,795 Kinkelaar Feb. 6, 1917 2,012,401 Placco Aug. 27, 1935 2,389,481 Bazner Nov. 20, 1945 2,503,167 Oldak Apr. 4, 1950 2,564,435 Hubbell Apr. 14, 1951 2,694,299 Gray Nov. 16, 1954 

